Detroit Cultivator is a multi-disciplinary effort to transform the six-acre Oakland Avenue Urban Farm into an experimental urban prototype for equitable regeneration. The plan combines agricultural production, cultural activity, business incubation, and ecological stewardship to envision a neo-rural landscape that is both economically and ecologically sustainable.

 

There are over 1300 urban farms in Detroit: some covering 40 acres and operating at an industrial scale, others converting a single lot into a resource just for a few families. While most would agree to the substantive benefits of urban agriculture, few initiatives have evolved into sustainable models for ecological diversification, economic resurgence, and infrastructural efficiency. We are working with the Oakland Avenue Urban Farm on a plan to unifying the site into an operational (agri)cultural landscape.

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To bring sustainability to the projects, the high-performance glazing-based passive system was proposed. The proposed passive facade system helps to keep heat inside the building while the heating season; in the cooling season, accumulated heat inside the building can be naturally ventilated to cool down the building. Based on the energy simulation results, the proposed design scheme can extend a thermally comfortable period of up to 78.5% annually without depending on HVAC systems. 

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This project is made possible through a grant from ArtPlace America. Additional support provided by the University of Michigan Office of Research.